Comporium move exposes FOX Soccer channel to more customers

If you can’t make it to next weekend’s US Youth Soccer National Championship game at Manchester Meadows — you’re now a lot more likely to see it on television.

Rock Hill-based Comporium Communications announced Thursday the channel is now becoming a part of the cable system’s Basic Plus tier. It was previously only available on the upper ‘variety’ tier.

Comporium Communications spokesman Paul Kutz tells WRHI that the network and FOX Soccer had already been in negotiations to move the network to the different tier — a decision he says is, “just in time,” for the July 29 championship game.

60 teams from across the country are set to descend on York County next week. Kutz says the Championship game kicks off at 8 p.m. on July 29 on Channel 301 or 1301 in high-definition.

“Soccer continues to gain popularity, and we are excited that we can let more of our customers gain access to Fox Soccer,” said Comporium’s Greg Austin, senior vice present of business services and sales. “For those who already received it, the channel number did not change.”

Kutz says moving the FOX Soccer channel to the Basic Plus tier will allow significantly more customers to view the channel, a change that he says is permanent.